Grand on Space

The grand i10 is located with features, but most comfortable aspect of the car is the seats, which take the sting out of long journeys

My curiosity to sit behind the wheels of the much appreciated Hyundai Grand i10 became a reality when I was handed over the keys of our long term test car. I straight away planned to hit the highway. Therefore, I went on a three day tour to Amritsar with the boot fully loaded and packed with five occupants.

 

My first impression of the Grand i10 was quite positive since it is loaded with amazing features, some of which are unique to Grand. The power delivery felt linear and the car felt peppy through the gears. The car easily managed to breach the 100kmph mark without much of an effort. The gears slots were easy to maneuver, adding fun to the drive.

The best price for engineering of the Grand goes to the amount of space inside the car and the comfortable seating. The front seats are large and soft with contours that makes driving comfortable, even in traffic and on long drives. Even though the head-rest is fixed, it is quite comfortable. Moreover, the driver’s seat also comes with a height adjuster. Passengers can also enjoy a comfortable ride as the leg room is big enough to stretch their legs. Even a tall person can sit comfortably without the knees hitting the glove box.

The Grand i10 also has enough headroom at the back to give a roomy feel to the rear seat occupants. Moreover, the shoulder space is big enough to accommodate three passengers to sit comfortably. The inclined seatback makes for a relaxed seating posture. The rear AC vents are the USP on the Grand i10, which is not offered by other competitors in this segment.

The upholstery on the Grand i10 comes with dual-tone fabric, matching the interiors of the car perfectly.

 

Living in Urban Runabout

As an automotive journalist, I am constantly on the move. My day is usually packed with meetings and press conferences, which means that I am always driving to different places around the town, and usually at peak traffic hours. My earlier car was the Hyundai i10, but for a while now, I have been driving around in the Grand i10, which was earlier with our design head, Kapil.

I always thought the i10 was a fantastic city car, and after taking it on a few long road trips, I thought it was perhaps the perfect car for India because it performed extremely well on the highway too. The Grand i10, on the other hand, actually goes even further than the i10 in terms of performance and comfort. My past month with the Grand i10 has been a spectacular experience. The cabin space is really good and very comfortable for a tall driver like myself. For someone who has a hectic daily schedule, I’m thankful that I can drive all over the town without any kind of discomfort in the car. The Grand i10, although a bit longer than i10, is still the perfect size vehicle for the crowded urban streets. Therefore, making it easy to zip through traffic and finding a parking spot.

Not only is the diesel engine really good, but the manual transmission is also smooth and comfortable, making it easy to work with in case of slow traffic. The ride quality is also quite nice and the suspension does seem to fit most road conditions. The in-built sound system continues to keep me entertained with its high quality sound from the speakers. The overall quality in the cabin of the car is very nice, and everything from the dashboard to the seats is remarkable.

The exterior build quality and the sleek design of the Grand i10 is also very impressive. The car has been performing quite well, making it perfect for practical mobility solution for Indian roads. The grand i10 really does suit my needs and gets me where I need to go in comfort and with ease.

Hyundai are you ready to Samba; Are You?

Hyundai, the Korean automotive giants, are the principal sponsors of one the world’s greatest sporting events. Car India explores Hyundai’s footballing endeavors for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

 

With the 2014 FIFA world cup just round the corner, Hyundai Motor Company officially announced football superstars Ricardo Kaka (Brazil) and Iker Casillas (Spain), as their new global brand ambassadors. Casillas, currently goalkeeper with Real Madrid CF, has participated in three times in the FIFA World Cup, and is considered one of football’s greatest keepers. Likewise, Kaka, a midfielder with AC Milan, has also played in the FIFA World Cup thrice and was awarded the ‘FIFA World player of the Year’ and the ‘Ballon d’Or’ in 2007. Additionally, in Brazil, Hyundai Motor chose Oscar Emboaba as the local representative of the brand for the tournament. Oscar is currently at Chelsea FC and is set to be a key figure of the Brazilian squad.
 

 

These global football icons will play a stellar role in building relationships between Hyundai Motor and football fans through a broad range of marketing activities this year, which will include television and print advertisements, digital marketing programmes and on-site events.

Hyundai have also kicked off the celebration of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil by launching special-edition versions of their highly popular ix35 and i30 in United Kingdom.

Speaking at the launch, Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor UK, said that they were delighted to be official partner of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and that these new special-edition models were an ideal way to kick off their preparations and to deliver great value to their customers.

Hyundai Motor’s partnership with FIFA began in 1999 and is currently set to run until 2022. Hyundai Motor has successfully supported major events such as the FIFA World Cup in Korea-Japan (2002), Germany (2006) and South Africa (2010) as well as other competition such as FIFA Confederations Cup. The successful sponsorship of international football has contributed greatly to Hyundai Motor’s strong and continuously improving brand awareness and image.

Smooth Operator

Long distance cruises are easy and relaxed as long as you keep the Grand i10 in the right power band.
 

The three-day Holi weekend meant that I decided to head out to Chandigarh to catch up with friends and family from the ‘city beautiful’. Though I was initially a bit skeptical about the Grand i10’s long distance cruising ability and briefly considered taking out my own swift for the journey, the Grand i10’s meager fuel sipping nature meant it won the debate without a fight.

The relatively small 1.1 Litre engine and soft suspension was a cause of concern but a good 500 km round trip has turned me into a firm believer about the Grand i10’s highway abilities. Though not huge on power the CRDi engine is big on refinement, and seems to have just enough pep to keep company with other hatchbacks on the highway. On the pulse side though, when revved hard the CRDi motor doesn’t get too intrusive, keeping the cabin quiet place. Keep it ticking over 2000 rpm and just below 3500 rpm and you will be rewarded with generous power delivery. What’s also brilliant is the 23.4 Kmpl economies I managed to get on this trip. The 256-Litre boot is well shaped as well and can take two large pieces of luggage for those long hauls. 

Another huge hit with the occupants are the rear AC vents. With summers approaching fast these vents add practicality to car’s cabin. Surprisingly enough, this is the only small car to offer this feature. But even more surprisingly, is the omission of automatic climate control, even on the top end version. Hyundai should seriously consider offering this as standard.

Overall I am happy with the Grand i10’s abilities as a long distance cruiser. Just a bit more power and this could be the complete package.